Silo-hoop tightener



W. ZULCH.

SILO HOOP TIGHTENER.

ATION FILED 02m. 1920 APP 1 ,388,01 2, I v Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

P Q Will/(Nil ZuZc/L fw w w 1 E ATTORNEYS i and Improved Silo- PATENT DFHCE.

WILLIAM ZULCH, COBLESKILL, NEW YORK.

SILO-HOOP TIGHTENEB.

Specification of Letters PatentedAugi. 16', 1921.

a ic tion filed December 1, 1 20. Serial in), 427,551.

To alley/pom itmag concern:

-Be itknown I, WILLIAM Z LoH, a citizen ofthe United States,jand a resident of Coble'skill, county of Schoharie, and State of NewfYork, have invented a new bop. Tightener, of w c t e fol o ins s a ull, ear. a d X- actdescription. hi inv n i n ela e to im r eme imilo hoop sl sesis Qhi' ct" o he .v n n bei o? p ovide a "device of this character which will serve the double purposeof a tightener and a ladder. v "'Affurther objectis to provide a hoop tightener which will be comparatively easy to install on ordinary silo hoops, and one which maybe ope ated with facility. A still further object is to provide a-device of the charactei ystated which will be simple and practical in construction, strong and durable in use,and comparatively me pensiveto manufacture.

' Although the device is primarily intended for use on silos, t isino im ed tdth s P r ticular use but may be utilized successfully on vats or similar types-of containers. which emp y h ops- I'T, L 3

"With these'and other objects in view, the invention consists, in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of-parts'as will be more fully hereinafter described" the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in transverse section through a silo, illustrating my improved tightener in operative posltion, with parts broken away for clearness.

Fig. 2 is a plan view or front elevation of my improved tightening mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

1, 1 represent two upright staves of a silo. These particular staves are located one on each side of a door opening. 2 represents a bracing rod extending transversely across the door opening, and having its threaded ends 3 embedded in the staves. Gaskets 4: and lock nuts 5 around the threaded ends of the rod space the two staves apart and prevent tightening of the hoop 6 from altering the shape of the door opening.

Pairs of tapered channel guide blocks 7 preferably of metal, are secured to the staves on each side of the door opening. The pairs of blocks are formed with oppositely disand pointed out in The hoops Gfare formed with tenons 18 of the rod 17' project posed dovetailed grooves 8. The taper 0f the blocks? is somewhat exaggerated on the drawing, but it is to be understood'that the outer face 9 of'the 'blocksis disposed tan gentlally to the'walls of the silo, and the inner face of e' t he W s. A y S able s r n w uch aybe empl ye as n the blocksto the silo I, preferably in the form of wire cables havingtheir ends fastened to metal'plates 11. g I

12' slidable in? the s ee the" blocks 7 'for U bolt 13' which ties 15 projecting receiving nuts 14 wh1c'h"are' adjustable to securely clamp or squeeze the ends ofthe cable 6 between the intermediate portion of bolts and the'plates 11.

the accommodation of a Sufficient space is left between the blocks. is positioned I The plates 11 are I has its threaded extremi- 7 through. the plate 11 and The plates 1 1 are integral with flanges 16 disposed at 'right angles to the plates, and formechwith alined openings for'the reception of'a rod 17. The threaded ends through theopenings in the flanges anchreceive adjusting nuts. 19 which confine'the flanges between themL. These rods 17 located one above theother, on therespective hoops of the silo, a convenient ladder for the use of one who desires to inspect the contents of the silo from one of the door openings. r

The operation will be readily understood. When itis desired to tighten the hoops it is merely necessary to tighten the nuts 19 or move them toward each other on'the rod 17. These flanges l6 7 another, the plates sliding in the dovetailed channels between the blocks 7, and since the ends of the hoop are secured to the plates 11, this movement of the plates necessarily tightens the hoops about the silo.

nuts through the medium of the Various slight changes and alterations might be made inthe general form of the parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details set forth, but shall consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations asfairly fall vsiithin the spirit and scope of the appended c aims.

Inasmuch as the rods 17 serve as the steps of a ladder, one using the ladder will know 95 will pull the plates toward one. I

. body,

that a loose step means a loose hoop which needs to be tightened. If the rod 17 should not provide sutficient adjusting means, the U-bolts 13 may of course be used for taking in some of the cable.

What I claim is:

1. The combination .with an annular body and a flexible device encircling the body, of pairs of channel guide blocks spaced apart and secured to the outer face of the plates slidable in the guide blocks and connected to the ends of the flexible de vice, and means for moving the plates in opposite directions.

2. The combination with an annular body and a flexible device encircling the body, of pairs of channel guide blocks spaced apart and secured to the outer face of the body, plates slidable in the guide blocks and connected to the ends of the flexible device, and means for positively moving the plates to ward each other.

3. The combination with an annular body and a flexible device encircling the body, of pairs of channel guide blocks spaced apart and secured to the outer face of the body, platesslidable in the guide blocks and con nected to the ends of the flexible device, and means for positively moving the plates toward each other, said means comprising a pair of flanges on the guide blocks having alined openings therein, a threaded rod located through said openings, and adjusting nuts on the ends of the rod confining the flanges between them.

4:. The combination with a silo having a door opening therein and bracing rods located transversely of said opening, of a flexible hoop encircling the silo, pairs of tapered channel guide blocks located on each side of the openings, said blocks having their inner faces located against the Wall of the silo and their outer faces located in the same vertical plane, plates slidable between the channel guide blocks, flanges on the plates having alined openings therein, a rod positioned through the openings, the ends of said Ted being threaded, adjusting nuts around the threaded ends of the rod confining the flanges between them and adapted to move the plates in opposite directions, and means securing the ends of the flexible hoop to the plates.

5. The combination with a silo having a door opening therein and bracing rods located transversely of said opening, of a flexible hoop encircling the silo, pairs of tapered channel guide blocks located on each side of the openings, ing their inner faces located against the wall of the silo and their outer faces located in the same vertical plane, plates slidable between the channel guide blocks, flanges on the plates having alined openings therein, a rod positioned through the openings, the ends of said rod being threaded, adjusting nuts around the threaded ends of the rod confining the flanges between them and adapted to move the plates in opposite directions, and means securing the ends of the flexible hoop to the plates, said means comprising U-bolts having their threaded extremities extending through the outer faces of the plates,. intermediate portions encircling the ends of the hoops, and adjusting nuts on the freeends. of the U-bolts controlling the binding action of their intermediate portions on the ends of the hoop.

WILLIAM ZULCH.

said blocks hav- 

